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The expectations build with an 11-game point streak. Each point earns this Detroit Red Wings team a little more confidence that it might end a six-year absence from the conference championship series.

New coach. Younger team. But same impatience.

"Down seasons" for the Wings aren't the same as for other NHL organizations. There might have been a public willingness to forgive and forget the early struggles of a more inexperienced Wings' team than usual and a first-time NHL head coach learning on the fly. But a generation-long playoff streak and a sense that serious Stanley Cup contention is a Detroit birthright places even more pressure on this team the further it climbs the Eastern Conference playoff ladder as the season progresses.

There didn't appear that much difference Thursday night between the leader in the Eastern Conference standings (Montreal) and its closest pursuer in the Atlantic Division.

And the Wings applied a little more heat to the Canadiens. Two third-period goals within seconds of each other gave the Wings a 3-2 victory, extending their point streak to 12 games. The Wings now trail Montreal by only four points in the Atlantic Division.

"It doesn't really matter right now," said Henrik Zetterberg afterwards. "There's still a long way to go. We know we're playing well. If we're playing like this, we're going to get our points."

The Wings' captain tried keeping this surge low-key. This was a good win that justifies the Wings' strategy in this transitional season. They've preached patience, adopting the philosophy of relying on younger prospects. An attitude more consistent with the NHL's salary cap-induced parity.

But that practice is now especially true with the goaltending situation. Petr Mrazek is not only the future, but he's the present as well. He provides an athleticism and puck-handling prowess that solid veteran Jimmy Howard doesn't have. He single-handedly kept this game close entering the third period, twice denying Montreal's Tomas Plekanec on odd-man rushes off Detroit neutral zone turnovers.

But the Wings insist there hasn't been much separation between Mrazek and Howard. More important, they think there's no rush in clearly distinguishing a No. 1 and a No. 2. The regular season's only one-third over. There's no need in wearing out a No. 1 man. But it isn't a coincidence that only Mrazek has garnered back-to-back game starts while neither he nor Howard has started games on consecutive nights.

"Got to say that (Mrazek) was pretty good," Zetterberg added. "He kept us in the game and made some big saves."

Nights like these were why everyone was pleased when the Wings returned to the Eastern Conference two seasons ago. A Montreal visit means a lot more now with divisional positioning at stake rather than a token inter-conference appearance. There was more than the customary electricity at Joe Louis Arena. Not only an appreciation that the Habs are the team the Wings are chasing, but also a tease of what might await next spring should these two storied Original Six franchises meet in the playoffs for the first time since 1978.

Montreal's struggling. It started fast with a nine-game winning streak. But now the Canadiens have lost four straight games. It also snapped a seven-game regulation/shootout winning streak over the Wings. Even without star goalie Carey Price for at least another six weeks with an unspecified lower body injury, the Canadiens remain the best team in the Eastern Conference. Even shorthanded, they provided a decent measure of where the Wings stand.

The Wings are playing much better than just a couple weeks ago. They're getting more quality shots. They're doing a much better job of moving the puck. They're balancing the necessity of giving this new look the proper time with the expectations that this franchise must always strive for more than simply being good enough.